Goodbye
by Kaori Koriryu
Summary: Remember, for every time you say goodbye to someone, you will say hello to them again...   One-shot!


**Disclaimer: I do not own the Warriors series. **

Goodbye

"I don't want to go!" Mosskit wailed to her mother. "I don't want to leave brother and sister behind!"

Her mother, Jayflight, looked mournfully at the dark gray, almost black, kit. "They're gone, Mosskit. Your brother and sister have gone on, and they'll be happier where they're going. We must say goodbye and let them go, or they won't be happy, knowing we're not. The best thing we can do for them now is be happy."

Mosskit's throat choked up. "No." she whispered, shaking her head, not wanting to believe the words leaving her mother's lips. "I don't want to say goodbye. They're my brother and sister. They can't be gone!"

Jayflight touched her nose to her kit's ear in comfort. "They are, Mosskit. Just remember, the only reason we're afraid to say goodbye is because we think we'll never see someone again. We will see them in StarClan. We wait patiently to see them again, just as they will wait to see us." she said reassuringly.

Mosskit's eyes stayed open for a few more heartbeats, and then they fluttered closed, allowing her entrance to the world of sleep, peace overcoming her as she knew that she _would_ see her brother and sister again, someday.

Mossleaf stalked through the brittle undergrowth, searching for even the scrawniest piece of prey to feed her Clan in this most cold of leafbares. Suddenly her ears pricked forward. An alien scent invaded her nose. _Intruders!_ she thought in alarm.

Her claws tore into the grass as she scrambled noisily through the undergrowth to her Clan's camp. She splashed into the river and glided through the water, paddling strongly through the current.

The screeching and battle yowls of battling cats reached her ears. She was too late to warn them!

She barged into the camp with a fierce battle cry, jumping on the nearest enemy warrior. She scored her claws across the enemy's shoulders and ears, leaving marks that he would not soon forget. He also left his mark; bleeding claw marks across her pelt.

The warrior she fought left when she left a large gash on his stomach, but there were too many of these merciless, coldhearted warriors. Mossleaf chased away scores of the other side's warriors, yet more only seemed to stream in. They were coming in, more all the time, and she despaired that her Clan would not win, that they could not.

Finally, sometime into the night, the enemies left. The pale claw-shape of the crescent moon was reaching high into the sky, its faint gleam accompanying the stars in slicing through the thick black of night.

Mossleaf's daughter, Littlepaw, emerged from the medicine cat den, helping Sunsplash, the medicine cat and Littlepaw's mentor, heal all the warriors they could. But many of the noble RiverClan warriors had breathed their dying breath that night, including Jayflight, Mossleaf's mother, and Cloudpatch, Mossleaf's mate.

The two were placed close together as they died so that Mossleaf could be with them both. "I'll miss both of you." Mossleaf whispered, crouching on the blood-stained ground by their heads.

Cloudpatch smiled. "Goodbye." was all he could manage to say, and then his breathing evened out, a second before it disappeared completely. One of her two dying dear ones was gone.

Jayflight, who was in slightly better condition, looked up at her only living kit. "I told you goodbye wasn't forever when you were a kit. Now I'm going to see your brother and sister again…"

Mossleaf smiled. "Tell them hello from Mossleaf, and that I miss them dearly." she said quietly.

Jayflight smiled. "I will. And remember, Mossleaf, don't be afraid to say goodbye, because there will always, always be another hello. I'll prove it when I see you again."

With those final words, Jayflight's body gave one last shudder. Her loss of blood claimed her spirit, and she joined Cloudpatch in StarClan, her eyes glazing over, permanently gazing at the star-filled sky.

Mossleaf buried her nose in her mother's fur. "I promise that I will never, ever forget. Not you or your words." the young warrior murmured softly, her sincereness clear. "Not ever."

* * *

Mossleaf stared up at the stars through the branches of the elders' den. Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes as she smiled sadly. Her dark green eyes blinked a few times to clear away the tears. _It's almost time to say hello again._ she thought happily, with a touch of remorse for those she would leave behind.

Littleflower, now the Clan's only remaining medicine cat, slipped into the den with some herbs for the old she-cat. "Mossleaf, I've gotten some herbs to help your stiffness." she meowed quietly.

Mossleaf turned sad eyes to the medicine cat, her caretaker for so long, all through her sickness and elder life. She still had that same regretful smile when she looked at her daughter, who had taken care of her when she had no energy left to take care of herself.

"Littleflower, the only thing I want now is to be able to go peacefully. You know it is my time." Mossleaf said hoarsely.

Littleflower looked up from her herbs and stared at her mother, then went back to unfolding the leaf wraps. "I know." she answered after a pause, quieter still. "That's why I brought these to help you along." She unfolded a leaf and showed Mossleaf seven tiny black seeds. She pushed the leaf towards her mother, and the old she-cat gratefully began lapping the poppy seeds up.

"I don't want you to go." Littleflower confessed in a whisper, teary-eyed. "I don't want to say goodbye."

Mossleaf just looked up at her daughter, her eyes drooping from the effects of the seeds. A few tears slipped down her once-beautiful face. "Dear Littleflower, I will see you again." she sighed, clearly at a cost of effort. A peaceful smile drew across her face as her eyes closed for the last time, and she uttered her last words for her last living family member's comfort and peace of heart.

"_The only reason people are afraid of saying goodbye, is that they think there will never be another hello."_

With that, her breathing ceased, and Littleflower's eyes closed despairingly. Then she opened her eyes, looked up at the stars, and her lips curved upward.

"There will be another hello, mother. I will see you again."

* * *

As Mossleaf opened her eyes on StarClan, she felt energetic and kit-like again. She felt as if she could run forever, her bones strong and new again, her muscles strong and that of a young warrior.

Her eyes fell on a familiar tom, whom Littleflower got her white and pale brown pelt from.

"Cloudpatch!" she yowled in glee, running to meet her mate and rub her muzzle against his.

Two tiny kits, one who was dark brown with gray eyes and one who was pale gray with blue eyes, ran from the undergrowth towards her. She recognized them immediately, though it had been many, many moons since she had seen them last.

"Vaporkit, Brackenkit!" Mossleaf purred, touching her nose to their foreheads.

A slender blue-gray tabby slipped from the undergrowth after the two kits. She looked upon the daughter that had outlived her.

"I told you, Mossleaf. There is always another hello, even when we have gone forever."


End file.
